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Los Angeles is the busiest private aviation market in the United States, and arriving by private jet is the only way to land where you actually want to be — whether that's the entertainment corridor in the San Fernando Valley, the studios in Burbank, or a Beverly Hills meeting on a tight schedule. From The Jet Guys' home base in Upstate South Carolina, LA is one of the most-requested transcontinental routes the Flight Desk arranges for both leisure and corporate clients.
This page covers what you need to plan a private charter to or from the LA basin: the four primary airports and how to choose between them, route data for the city pairs The Jet Guys handle most often, what to expect by season, and answers to the questions clients ask before they book. The Jet Guys is a WYVERN Registered Broker and arranges every charter through vetted Part 135 operators.
LA has more general aviation airports than any other metro in the country. For most clients, the choice comes down to four: Van Nuys for nearly everything, Burbank for studios and northeast LA, LAX for international and very heavy aircraft, and Long Beach as a south-bay alternative. Santa Monica was historically a private jet option, but that's no longer a practical recommendation — the runway was shortened in 2017 and the airport is scheduled to close at the end of 2028.
Van Nuys is the busiest general aviation airport in the world and the default choice for nearly every private charter into LA. The 8,001-ft main runway accommodates the full range of business jets up to ultra-long-range, the FBO network is the deepest in any U.S. metro, and the location in the San Fernando Valley puts you within 15-30 minutes of Beverly Hills, Hollywood, the studios, and West LA.
Burbank is the closest commercial-service airport to Hollywood, the studios, and downtown LA. It handles a healthy mix of commercial and private aviation, with two FBOs serving general aviation traffic. For clients with business at Warner Bros., Disney, Universal, or in Pasadena and the eastern Valley, BUR is often a faster door-to-door option than VNY.
LAX is generally not the first choice for private aviation — landing fees are steep, congestion is real, and ground transportation isn't materially better than VNY or BUR for most LA destinations. But two cases push clients to LAX: international arrivals where the operator prefers full-service customs, and ultra-long-range aircraft where LAX's 12,000-ft runways simply give crews more margin.
Long Beach is a useful fourth option for clients heading to the South Bay, Manhattan Beach, Orange County, or the Long Beach harbor area. It's quieter than the LA basin airports and has its own noise restrictions but suits the full range of business jets.
Worth noting because clients sometimes ask: SMO is no longer a practical private jet option. The city shortened the runway from 4,973 ft to 3,500 ft in 2017, which effectively blocks most business jets, and the airport is contractually scheduled to close at midnight on December 31, 2028. Light propeller aircraft can still operate, but for any jet charter into the West LA area, VNY or LAX are the practical choices.
The Jet Guys don't publish fixed prices because every LA charter is priced differently. Rates depend on departure city, aircraft category, dates, and how operator availability lines up with your schedule. A mid-size jet from Las Vegas to VNY on a Tuesday is a very different quote from a heavy jet from the East Coast to LAX during awards season.
A few factors drive LA pricing more than others.
Late January through early March (Sundance through Oscars), Coachella in mid-April, Super Bowl years, and major sporting events all create demand spikes that compress operator availability and firm up pricing. Awards season in particular pulls heavy and ultra-long-range aircraft into VNY from across the country, which means clients booking inside a week may see limited options. Three to six weeks of lead time is sensible for any LA trip falling in a known event window.
LA is roughly 2,200 nm from the Carolinas and East Coast, which is well within range of super-mid jets like the Citation Longitude or Challenger 350, heavy jets, and ultra-long-range aircraft. Light jets generally can't make the trip nonstop, so a fuel stop is usually involved if a smaller aircraft is selected. This is one of the routes where category selection has the biggest impact on both flight time and total cost.
LA generates more outbound empty legs than any other U.S. metro because so many aircraft fly into LA for events, repositioning, or one-way client trips. Empty leg flights departing LA toward the East Coast, Las Vegas, or San Francisco come up with regularity. They're opportunistic — specific dates, specific aircraft — but for flexible travelers they meaningfully cut transcontinental costs. The Jet Guys' Flight Desk tracks empty legs daily.
VNY landing fees are modest. LAX landing and ramp fees are several thousand dollars for heavy jets. BUR sits in the middle. For shorter trips, the airport choice can change the all-in quote by more than the flight itself. The Flight Desk usually recommends an airport based on the actual destination address rather than what's familiar.
For a quote tailored to your specific trip, contact The Jet Guys Flight Desk.
westbound transcontinental flights are typically 30-45 minutes longer than the eastbound legs above due to prevailing headwinds.
LA is a year-round market. Unlike most destinations, demand isn't really seasonal — it's event-driven. Knowing the calendar helps with both pricing and availability.
LA is itself a base for trips throughout Southern California and the Southwest. Many private charter clients land at VNY or BUR and continue by car or short helicopter hop to surrounding destinations.
A 25-40 minute drive west of VNY puts you on the coast. Malibu in particular has become a hard-to-reach market since SMO's runway was shortened — VNY is now the practical airport for both areas, with Pacific Coast Highway access from the Sepulveda Pass corridor. Many charter clients pair a VNY arrival with a Malibu beach house for the weekend.
Both 25-30 minutes from VNY and 25-30 minutes from BUR, depending on traffic. For studio meetings and entertainment-industry business, BUR is often the faster choice. For shopping, hotels, and West LA business, VNY is generally the better default.
About a 90-minute drive east of LA, but most clients fly in directly to Palm Springs International (PSP) or Jacqueline Cochran Regional (TRM) rather than driving. During Coachella weekends, both airports become heavily congested and many operators reposition aircraft to/from VNY between weekends. Worth discussing with the Flight Desk if your trip falls in mid-April.
About 90 minutes by car from LA, or a 30-minute flight from VNY to Santa Barbara Airport (SBA). For coastal weekends, wine country trips to the Santa Ynez Valley, or visits to Montecito, SBA is the preferred arrival point. SBA handles the full range of business jets.
A 2-hour drive from LA, or a 35-40 minute flight from VNY to either San Diego International (SAN) or Carlsbad–McClellan-Palomar (CRQ). CRQ is more convenient for North County (Carlsbad, Del Mar, La Jolla) and is generally less congested than SAN.
Short helicopter hops from LAX, LGB, or Long Beach are the standard way clients reach Catalina. The airport on the island (AVX) has a 3,000-ft runway suitable for light props and turboprops only — not for jet operations.
Big Bear City Airport (L35) and Apple Valley (APV) handle light props and turboprops for trips to the San Bernardino Mountains. Most charter clients fly into VNY or ONT and continue by car for skiing, lake trips, or summer cabin stays.
For nearly every private charter to LA, Van Nuys (VNY) is the best choice. It's dedicated to general aviation, has the deepest FBO network in the country, the 8,001-ft runway accommodates every business jet category, and it's centrally located for Beverly Hills, the Valley, Malibu, and West LA. Hollywood Burbank (BUR) is the better choice if your business is at the studios or in northeast LA. LAX makes sense for international arrivals or ultra-long-range aircraft. Long Beach (LGB) is the right call for South Bay or Orange County destinations.
Pricing depends on departure city, aircraft category, dates, and operator availability. Coast-to-coast trips from the East Coast or Southeast typically use a super-mid or heavy jet and price accordingly. Regional trips from Las Vegas, Scottsdale, or San Francisco are much shorter and more flexible on aircraft. Awards season, Coachella weekends, Super Bowl years (when LA hosts), and the 2026 World Cup all firm up pricing significantly. The Jet Guys' Flight Desk provides fixed-price quotes through vetted Part 135 operators — request a quote here.
Yes — LA is one of the most active empty leg markets in the country. Aircraft routinely reposition into and out of VNY around events, one-way client trips, and maintenance schedules. Empty legs are opportunistic by nature and require flexible dates, but they can meaningfully reduce the cost of a transcontinental trip. The Jet Guys' Flight Desk tracks empty legs daily for clients with date flexibility. Learn more about empty leg flights.
SoFi Stadium will host eight matches in June and July 2026, including a quarter-final. LAX has implemented a Prior Permission Required (PPR) program around match windows, and ramp compression is expected at VNY and BUR as well. Clients planning any LA travel during the World Cup window should book as early as possible — three months ahead is not too early for match weekends. The Jet Guys' Flight Desk is coordinating directly with operators on alternative airport options and ramp timing for clients traveling during this window.
Roughly 4 hours 15 minutes eastbound from VNY back to GSP and roughly 5 hours westbound from GSP to VNY. This is well within the range of super-mid jets like the Citation Longitude or Challenger 350 and any heavy or ultra-long-range aircraft. Light jets generally cannot make the trip nonstop and require a fuel stop, typically in Texas or Arizona.
Yes, and these are some of the most common multi-leg itineraries the Flight Desk arranges. LA-to-Vegas is a 50-minute flight, LA-to-Scottsdale is 70 minutes, and LA-to-San Francisco is about an hour. A single aircraft and crew can comfortably handle a three-city Western swing over a long weekend. Contact The Jet Guys to discuss your routing.
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